HAW Hamburg expertise - Knowledge for life

Our fields of expertise reflect the technologies, industries and services that make Germany a leading economy and our close collaboration with Hamburg's innovation clusters allows us to develop this knowledge in our teaching and research.

Hamburg Aviation

Airbus, Lufthansa Technik and 300 SMEs make Hamburg the third largest centre for civil aviation in the world and the main production site for Airbus in Germany. HAW Hamburg is a leader in the field of aeronautical engineering higher education and research, with professors who worked for Airbus before joining the university.

The aviation industry has joined with Hamburg universities and research institutes to form »Hamburg Aviation«, a competence cluster dedicated to further advancing the city as a centre for aviation innovation. HAW Hamburg is a partner for Airbus and our teaching and research expertise play a central role in Hamburg Aviation’s strategy.

Renewable Energies

Germany is at the forefront of renewable energy technologies and Hamburg’s focus on renewable energies has made green business a significant economic factor in the region, earning Hamburg the award European Green Capital 2011. To build on this expertise Hamburg formed the cluster »Renewable Energy Hamburg« to open up new business fields and make Hamburg a leading centre for renewable energies worldwide.

HAW Hamburg is a key player in Hamburg’s renewable energy cluster with teaching and research in wind energy, smart grid technology, solar power and biomass fuels. Developing our expertise is our Competence Centre for Energy (CC4E), an interdisciplinary innovation pool in renewable energies, and our new Energy Campus with a technology centre for wind energy and smart grid technology.

Automotive Engineering

Germany is the fourth largest car-producing nation in the world and the automotive industry is a driving force of the national economy. German car manufacturers are distinguished by their technological innovation and skill and many of their designers are graduates of the HAW Hamburg.

We are a leader in the field of automotive engineering, specialising in vehicle design and our professors all have industrial experience. Their continued close cooperation with companies ensures new developments are incorporated into our degree programmes and guarantee our students a state-of-the-art education.

Global Logistics

Hamburg is one of Germany’s and Europe’s strongest economic regions. Its port is the second largest container port in Europe, making it Germany’s centre for foreign trade and Northern Europe’s logisticshub. It is also China’s gateway to Europe and a trade hub for the Far East. Hamburg is one of the Top 10 smart cities in Europe and part of the new city strategy is to develop the harbour into a smart port.

Our students profit from Hamburg’s focus on international trade, the international brands that have their headquarters in the city and the port’s logistics as well as from professors who have worked in global business.

Information Technology

HAW Hamburg has an excellent reputation in information technology and ranks among the top German universities for computer science degree programmes (CHE Ranking). Information technology is an important field of research at the HAW Hamburg and our professors work with local companies and national government agencies developing innovative ideas in the fields of ambient intelligence, virtual reality, homeland security and knowledge organisation.

Hamburg@work is an innovation cluster in IT and media, working in close cooperation with partners in Germany but also at international locations such as San Francisco and Shanghai.

Design & Media

Hamburg is Germany’s most important mediacentre with an eclectic mix of international publishing houses, advertising agencies, television studios and young start-ups. With an annual revenue of €10.5 billion it has become one of Hamburg’s most important business areas, in particular in the new games industry. HAW Hamburg has an excellent reputation in design and new media with internationally renowned faculty and students regularly winning national and international prizes.

Our Design & Media Campus is part of Hamburg’s new »creative knowledge« cluster with universities, media schools, studios and start-ups providing a brain pool for students and faculty to network. From illustration, fashion and games to new media we offer a wide range of creative programmes.

Life Sciences

The Metropolitan Region of Hamburg has created a life sciences cluster with 500 companies ranging from global players to small, innovative enterprises focusing on biomedical technology, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. By building networks with Scandinavia and the Baltic States it aims to create an internationally competitive centre for life sciences in Northern Germany.

HAW Hamburg has research projects with state-of-the-art labs and Master’s programmes in English in Biomedical Engineering and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. International students work with professors to complete their Master’s thesis within the university or with a company in the region.

Health Care

Like other cities, Hamburg is facing the challenges of a growing multi-cultural city and an aging population. Improving healthcare and services in the region is a topic both of Hamburg’s healthcare cluster and teaching and research at the HAW Hamburg. The Competence Centre Health at the HAW Hamburg looks at health promotion, software solutions for improved patient care as well as healthcare in old age.

Projects in social work and nursing in collaboration with service providers and hospitals allow students to benefit from the need for professionally managed social work and nursing in a big city.